Tilting valve master cylinder for hydraulic brakes



Nov. 13, 1951 V E. LA BRIE 2,574,923

TILTING VALVE MASTER CYLINDER FOR HYDRAULIC BRAKES Filed May 17, 1948 V 2 SHEETSSHEET l IN V EN TOR.

A T TDHNE' Y ,w E v LUDGERE.LABRIE.

Nov. 13, 1951 L. E. LA BRIE 2,574,923

TIL-TING VALVE MASTER CYLINDER FOR HYDRAULIC BRAKES Filed May 17, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IM EN TOR. LUD BER E L- ABRIE A T TUHAZEY Patented Nov. 13, 1951 TILTING VA LVE MASTER CYLINDER FOR HYDRAULIC BRAKES Ludger E. La Brie, Detroit, Mich assignor to Hydraulic Brake' Company, Detroit, Mich a corporation of California Application May 1 7, 1948, Serial No. 27,389

This invention relates to master cylinders for hydraulic brake systems.

In hydraulic brake systems in which a so-called NoRol is used to prevent a, motor vehicle from rolling backward when stopped on a hill, it sometimes occurs that brake fluid trapped in the wheel cylinders under very high pressure must escape from the master cylinder into the reservoir just as the master cylinder piston returns to its normal position. It is common practice to use in the master cylinders a, flexible cup washer which moves with the piston to its normal position past one or more smallholes which provide a path for the escape'to the reservoir of the trapped brake fluid. When this happens, the high pressure of the'brake fluid forces the free thin edges of the flexible cups into the small openings and soon destroys the cups.

One method of overcoming'this difilculty is illustrated in my co-pending application, Serial No. 759,839, filed July 9, 1947, now Patent No. 2,552,- 048, In that application, a tilting valve is provided for opening and closing the passageway between the reservoir and the master cylinder, the valve being tilted from its closed position by a flange on the end of a thimble which slides in the cylinder and which is forced in one direction by themovement of the piston, and

in the other direction by the piston return spring.

It has been found that when a NoRol is used with this type of master cylinder and very high pressure of the fluid occurs at the time the piston returns to its normal position, this Very high pressure holds the tilting valve'on its seat in spite of the pressure of the master cylinder piston return spring] It has also been found that when a valve of the type illustrated in my co-pending application abovereierred-to is tilted to relieve fluid pressure of 1,000 pounds or over per square inch, the rubber forming the seat for the tilting valve is pulledaway from the central metal portion of the tilting valve so that part of the returning brakefluid passes between the rubber and the metal part of the tilt-'- ing valve rather than between the rubber and the valve seat, and the rubberbecomes displaced 2 Claims. (Cl. 60--54.6)

2 I firmly upon the tilting valve member by a sur rounding metallic part of the valve member in a manner to prevent brake fluid under high pressure from passing within the rubber ring forming the valve seat.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the cylinder, reservoir and tilting valve, showing the valve master cylinder, wheel cylinders and a NoRol fluid locking device as they are used on a vehicle. a r Referring to the drawings, a cylinder 4- and a reservoir 5 are formed in a casting supported on the framework of the vehicle by lugs 6. A threaded opening I, between the reservoir and the cylinder, is closed by a hollow plug 8, which houses a tilting valve, comprising a central metallic member ID, surrounded by a rubber ring I I, which is held in place by a cup I2. The rubber ring II is somewhat T-shaped in cross section, and the cup I2 is provided with an inwardly extending flange I3 which, cooperating motor with an outwardly extending'flange I I on the" central member Ill, engage the T-head of the rubber ring to firmly hold it in place under a considerable normal compression. The cup l2 and the central member ID are assembled together under pressure by a tool which throws the flange I6 outwardly against the base of the cup I2. The 7 central member I0 is provided with a stemII which protrudes slightly into the bore of the ,cylinder 4. A spider I8 is stacked into the opening in the plug 8, and supports a spring 19 which urges the valve towards its seat on the inner face of the plug 8. An opening ZI through the head of the plug affords fluid communication between the reservoir and the cylinder when the valve is'tilted. A ringgasket 22 forms a seal between'the plug and the cylinder castmg. I

The piston 25 is provided with an extension 26 of an external diameter somewhat less than that of the cylinder, and having a flange 21 at its end which has a working fit in the cylinder 4 and serves to assist in guiding the piston and to tilt the valve when the piston with its associated thimbe is in its normal position. A ring washer 29, preferably of rubber, is located in a rectangw' the thimble portion of the piston for returning;

the piston to its normal position. v

A pushrod 31 (Fig. 3) is moved towemdstthfe' cylinder in the usual manner by a pivoted'brak'e pedal 38, causing fluid to flQWthrough the: pas-" sages 39 and 40 of the NoRol wyliiider wli ands? the tubing 42 to the wheel cylinders 43. A ball 44- is supported within the NoRolf cylinder 4.l-. upon. rods 45 which form a cage movable within the cylinder by a cam 46 attached by a lever 44- and rod 48 with the pivotedi clutch pedal 49. The movablecage supports a rubbe'rr'valv'e 50;.

Insth'e operation oiTth'e-braking; system in which my master cylinder is used, fluid is first intro-. duced' into" the resenvoir- 5' and, at thesame time; one of the bleeder valves (not shownbut always present in: a hydraulicr brake system) at a wheel cylinder is opened. The brake pedal. 38- is-then depressed; The first moveme'nt of: the brake pedal closes: the-tiltingnvalve' and forces air out of the master cylinder past the valve- 3-3 and intothe" pipingcto 'the:wheel cylindersz Upon the: release of. the foot pedal 38-, the spring. 34! returns the piston' 25 to its normal position; "Atthistime, the valve 33 remains closed againsttherew turn of air'f-rom: the'piping; andthetilting valve therefore moved oil-i itsi seat by; the: depression created in: the cylinder 4;, thus permitting. a flow of brake fluid into the master cylinder. By-repeated movements of: the-brake? pedal 38, and by opening the bleedei: valves at: the wheel cylinders one at a time; the air isforced out-of all of the pipingi-and out of the: NoRol device and. the wheel? cylinderst If a small-amount of. air'is let-t in the master cylinder, it passes: out past thetilted valve: when the: pistom is: returned toits normal. positiom. and-some additional fluid flows into: the? master cylinder from: the wheel cylinders;

In: setting the: brakes; the"- first movement, ot the piston 25' permits-- the-tilting valve to seat while further movement forces brake fluid into the: wheel: cylinders. Whenever the mastercylinder. piston is in its normal? pcsitiernthe tilting valve is tilted and the passageway is maintained openbetweenthe reservoir and master cylinder. ll'his permits fluid to'flow in-either directionbetweenthe reservoir and master cylinder tocompensate for expansion and contraction. of? the. bra-kefluiddue-totemperature:changes.v

'When' a vehicle driver. wishesto hold the. vehicie against backing. on a. hill, he. depresses his. brake'pedal and then depresses. his clutchlpedal; whereupon the brake-pedal may bereleasedl The. depression of. the: clutch. pedal. rotates. the cam 46 ofthe NoRol: and permits the-cage 45. to move to the-rig-htunder theinfluence. of the. spring. 5| (Fig. 3). Since the vehicle is on a slant, the. ball 44 rella againstthe rubber valve. member' 50, thus sealing the passageway so. that brake fluid cannot now escapefrom. the. wheel cylinders back tothe master cylinder. Uponthe. release of'the clutch pedal the valve member 5!] in the NoR'ol iii-forciblypulled: away from. its seat, permitting. the brake-fluid toiflow. from. the wheel cylinders.

eration, the piston in the master cylinder will have been fully released and in its normal position with the tilting valve standing open. The flow of brake fluid from the wheel cylinders will then pass around the tilting valve and into the reservoir without obstruction. It sometimes happens; howeventhat the-clutchr pedal' will be released before thebrake. pedal has. been.returned entirely to its normal position. When this happens, fluid will have been drawn into the master cylinder, past the tilting valve, by the almost complete returnof the brake pedal to its normal position; so that when the clutch pedal is released and a: flowof. brake fluid from the wheel cylinders toi'themaster cylinder occurs under the high; pressure which has been applied to the wheeLcylinders to hold the vehicle against rollmg backwards, the tilting valve will be closed, arrdzth: high pressure will be communicated to the underside of the tilting valve while it is in its=olosed position. This-high pressure onthe tilting valve would prevent the. valve fromtilt.- ing'under the i influence of. the: master: pistonretur-mspring. 34,. but since the high pressure is'also communicated to the piston itself,, this pressure.- assisting: the: spring 34 is. suflicient to tilt the: valvev and allow the fluid to escape. from the, master cylinder into:the.reservoir.. As-the tilting, valve istilted, there. isa. tendency for thefluid under pressure to force the. rubber of, the. tilting. valveout ot its. recess-,. but this. tendency is over come by the inwardly extending locking;fl'angeoiv the cup l-ilcooperating; with an. outwardly extending flange on the central. member: ID of. the.

' valve. I

.AlthoughLhave. shown and. described my in. vention. with respect to, certain. details. of? com-- struction, I do. not wish to. be. unduly limited. thereto, certain variations. from. the disclosure being. possible withoutd'eparting. fisom. the spiritand scope ofimy inventi'om lclaimt I. In a. master cylinder for. hydraulic brake. systems, a. reservoir for. operating. fluid, a. piston, in. the cylinder, aspringin the. cylinder for re--' turning, the piston. to its normal position. there being. a passageway. from the. reservoir into the cylinder beyond thepressure stroke-of thepiston, a.valve for. closingsaidpassageway opening, to-- ward the cylinder and having a stem projecting in-te the. cylinder,. a. spring tending to hold said valve on itsseat,.the piston being provided with an; integral tubular extension of less external diameter than the cylinder andprovided: withaflange at its extremity oi adiameterv substantiallyfilling the cylinder for engagement with the stem of said valve to tilt the. valve when the piston is in itsnormal position, thefirst movement'of the piston. on its pressure stroke moving: therflange out-of contact'withthe valve stem permitting. the valve to. seat under-- the influence ofzitsspring; I

2: In. a hydraulic. brakesystem, a master cyl-- inder. and an. associated. reservoir, a valve be tween. the cylinder. and, the reservoir,. a flatvalve seat. upon which said! valveseats with the. stem of the valve protruding into. the. cylinder,.a.piston. in.the.cylinder having a rubber sealingringtherecm the piston. being; provided with an integral hollow extension into. the. pressure part of the cylinder, the. extension. being of a diameter such. that. the. protruding end of the valve-stem. does not touch.it,,a flange on the end' of the piston extension of a diameter'to' have a. sli'ding'fit' in the baclcte the master. cylinder. Under normaliopcylinder and. positioned. sothat it engages the.

5 protruding end of the valve to tilt it on its seat, Number and a spring for returning the piston to normal 2,000,187 position seating within the hollow portion of the r 2,095,752 piston extension. 2,163,874 LUDGER E. LA BRIE. 5 2,258,257 2,314,553 REFERENCES CITED 2392334 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

10 Number UNITED STATES PATENTS 539,095 Number Name Date 1,430,746 Loughead Oct. 3, 1922 Name Date Oliver May 7, 1935 La Brie Oct. 12, 1937 Goepfrich June 27, 1939 Main Oct. 7, 1941 Palm Mar. 23, 1943 Downey Jan. 1, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 27, 1941 

